


Mortal Kombat: Coruscation ~Pursuit in Hell~

by LUNAtic104



Series: Mortal Kombat: Coruscation [1]
Category: Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: Original Characters - Freeform, Original Female Characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2020-11-26 05:14:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20924744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LUNAtic104/pseuds/LUNAtic104
Summary: 25 years after the events of both succeeding and failing to stop Shinnok from invading Earthrealm, time flies with what many considered to be peace.  Suddenly, Earthrealm's heroes have been notified about a "long-awaited" invasion from the Netherrealm once again.  This leaves the heroes in suspicion and to see what their enemies have prepared this time.  And while they are researching more about the Netherrealm, someone mysterious and questionable, who had glowing blood with magic unknown to others, has caught the eye of the Special Forces.  This makes that one being the Special Forces' main target, as the magical blood made them remember this one occurrence during their past...





	1. The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prologue Part 1, during the events right after the Mortal Kombat tournaments and Shinnok's failed attempt at invading Earthrealm

**_~THE NETHERREALM~_ **

As time flies, days pass by. The tournament known to be Mortal Kombat, held by Outworld's emperor Shao Kahn, has been set and put to an end. Earthrealm's champion has been chosen. That champion was none other than Liu Kang, a Shaolin monk and a loyal member of the White Lotus. And since then, he has continued to remain undefeated.  
Suddenly, Liu Kang and his allies have learned about another trouble that has occurred, but it was an issue just as risky, if not riskier, than the conflicts between Earthrealm and Outworld. That new problem was caused by those of the Netherrealm, namely Quan Chi, a demon and powerful sorcerer, and Shinnok, the former elder god and god of death. The time then has come for the undefeated champion to face against the elder god. However, while both had amazing power, the fight between the two has been left undecided, as Liu Kang has not successfully defeated the elder god, though has not lost against him either.  
Shinnok stood up with a wobbly posture, and uttered to Liu Kang, "...impressive. Raiden has chosen his protectors very well...I will remember this encounter. Just remember, when we meet again, Earthrealm will be mine...in greater hands than ever..." and left the Earthrealm warriors behind on the field they fought on. Liu Kang, who was already weakened, failed to stand up, and was caught in Raiden's arms. Raiden, the thunder god, looked ahead and thought to himself, _Shinnok...what are you trying to do? Is ruling Earthrealm really your true goal?_  
Then, Kitana, the Edenian princess, ran towards the two after the heated battle. "Liu Kang!" she exclaimed. "Hang in there, you did your best." She rubbed his head to comfort him, then added, "Don't worry...Earthrealm is still safe in our hands. No one has taken it from us yet." Hearing those words from Kitana, Liu Kang gave her a weak smile, though she knew he was still worried. Then, she lowered her head down and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. Raiden, who was still holding onto Liu Kang, smiled and nodded.  
"She is right," he finally said, "as long as we keep protecting Earthrealm, no one will be powerful enough to claim it as his own."  
He healed the Shaolin with his lightning powers and allowed him to stand up, adjusting and holding onto him in the process. "It is quite clear that you two were meant for each other," Raiden suddenly said, "I can sense a bright future." Liu Kang and Kitana blinked in surprise. "Oh! Uh, I apologize for the sudden remark," he chuckled.  
Liu Kang coughed to get his voice back. "Raiden," he finally spoke up, "I'm quite...flattered." He blushed bashfully, but then felt a sting of something. It almost felt like sadness or solitude. "But, what are you trying to say? That I should live my life with Kitana?" He tried his best not to jump to conclusions, but it couldn't be helped. "What would that mean for Earthrealm? I know that Edenia is close to restoration, or something similar...I don't know...but still, I..." _was chosen to be one of Earthrealm's protectors,_ was what he wanted to say, but he just couldn't. All of this was sudden and Liu Kang could barely think straight.  
"...I apologize," Raiden responded. He set a hand on his shoulder and saw an unexpected expression from the Shaolin. He was nearly teary-eyed and red from holding in his voice. Raiden felt even worse for him. "That wasn't what I meant..." He averted his eyes from Liu Kang, but the Shaolin chuckled as he wiped his eyes.  
"It's alright, Raiden. I was just shocked and confused right now," he replied and looked at Kitana. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. "Maybe we were meant for each other. Maybe this was fate. Having to live my life with Kitana...that would really be amazing," he blabbered. "But then I thought about Earthrealm and..." then he gave yet another chuckle. "Maybe I'm just stressed from all of this fighting that's happening all at once."  
"It seems that way," Raiden agreed. "Tell you what. I'll let you take your time, since it doesn't seem like anyone else is going to bother us any time soon. I won't force you to do anything, since you are your own man, Liu Kang," he promised.  
Kitana and Liu Kang looked at each other and smiled again. Raiden also smiled with them. Then, he thought about himself. He remembered what Liu Kang had said just now about who will protect Earthrealm. Raiden himself knew that he needed to protect their home, but with the current condition he is in, it seemed unlikely. After Liu Kang and Kitana left to the Shaolin temple for the night, Raiden made his own decisions and teleported to the Elder Gods' Chamber to meet Fujin, the wind god. "Fujin," he called after his arrival, "there is something I must tell you..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! This is my very first fanfiction on this website, so if you read through this and the following chapters, tell me how you think about it. I'm honestly quite nervous to hear from you guys, haha.


	2. Altered in Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prologue Part 2, when the keeper of time, known to be Kronika, looks through the hourglass

**_~THE KEEP~_ **

Raiden has given his position as protector of Earthrealm to Fujin, the wind god promising him to take good care of the realm. And just like that, Raiden has left Fujin and proceeded to becoming an elder god.  
This was what the keeper of time, Kronika, has seen through her hourglass. _Everything went the way I envisioned them to go,_ she thought to herself, _yet...something is not right..._ She rewound the memories that occurred in the past. Each minute, each hour, and each day flowed exactly how they should go. However, she also sensed a mysterious disturbance. She played a certain scene where children were running in the Living Forest in Outworld. They seemed to resemble beastly figures of many kinds. She played a different scene, this time taking place in the Netherrealm. There were a few figures that looked either devilish or demonic. She did not recognize who any of them were, but she knew for a fact that they were disrupting her timeline. As the keeper of time, as the one looking at every single second of an event, even less than a second, she could not get herself to recognize who those intruders were. _I am the keeper of time! How can I not remember or know who they are?!_ she questioned herself. _It can't be helped. Whoever they are, any further troubles caused by them, and history will be tainted and time will be corrupted! I'm sorry everyone...but I must rewind time to prevent any of this from happening any further..._ she decided.  
But, before she could use her powers to reverse time, something heavy caught her wrists. They felt like chains, yet, she didn't see anything. They were invisible to her, but the grip was undeniable. Her wrists and now her arms were painfully tightened by this mysterious grip, and then her arms were reeled close to her body against her will, feeling something heavily wrapped around her like a lasso. Then her waist, legs, and even her neck were constricted from any possible movement. She was starting to get breathless and lightheaded. "Who...who is there? ...who, are you..." she wheezed.  
She heard a deep growl from behind her. She tried to look back, but even averting her eyes was no use, since turning her head was already impossible. _**"No need to bother asking,"**_ the strange voice answered, **_"you are the keeper of time, right? Yet, you don't even know those through your hourglass. And you don't even know me. Heh heh, pathetic coming from you. But that won't matter any longer, because you won't have the chance to change anything, or rather, the time to change anything, ha ha,"_** it chuckled. Kronika couldn't hold it any longer. No matter how hard she tried to maintain herself, it was too painful for her with all of this invisible yet heavy pain she was given. Giving up and submitting the last of her energy, she was let go from the grip and fell unconscious on the floor of the Keep. **_"Perfect."_**  
Kronika lost many of her senses to function: moving her body, opening her eyes, and even making any sound. But she could still breathe, hear, and feel her surroundings, that being the empty breeze of the Keep and the heavy eeriness of a figure, which she assumed was the body of this strange voice that has been talking to her for a while. **_"Now that you no longer have the will to control that hourglass, or better yet, the will to control yourself, what am I going to have to do with you?"_** It was looking down at Kornika's unconscious body. Without wasting a second to think, it chuckled because it already knew what it was going to do to her. **_"Do not worry, titan. I will not harm you any longer. Instead, I will give you something special that might help you, actually. Heh heh..."_** it chuckled as it lifted up Kronika. She could not open her eyes to see what was going on, and she could barely worry about what was going to happen to her. And before she could think anything else, her brain shut down and she fell into a deep slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No worries, this is the last prologue before the very first chapter of this story!


	3. Message Sent From Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part one of Chapter 1 "Crystal Cold"

**_~SPECIAL FORCES BASE~_ **

It was 1:00 AM and Lieutenant Sonya Blade was unable to sleep. It has been 25 years since Shonnik's initial Earthrealm invasion, but something during that time couldn't get out of her head. And since then, she was working at the base 24/7, having little time to spend with family. At some point, she and that Hollywood actor, Johnny Cage, fell in love and got married. But even then she hasn't spent her life as his wife, and continued to live as a Special Forces military soldier...or so she thought, because every day she would sit in front of the screen for hours typing down information of all sorts. And due to this, her eyes started to swell every now and then. This moment was no exception.  
"Here's some eyedrops and an energy drink," a man's voice called from behind. Sonya almost jumped out of her seat and turned around. It was none other than her partner Jackson Briggs, or Jax as he is commonly known as. "The hell are you even doing here anyways?" he asked. "One o' clock? This is the latest you've stayed behind, Sonya."  
Sonya was groaning in sleepiness and pain (eye pain to be exact) and grabbed the eyedrops to put some in her eyes, only to miss it and land on her nose bridge. "Alright, lemme help ya," Jax said, and took the eyedrops from her hand and put them in for her. Sonya blinked as she was getting her senses back, tears rolling down from the soreness.  
"It can't be helped," Sonya sighed, "when did I become like this?" She took the energy drink that Jax placed on the table earlier and drank it. Jax tried to answer, but he couldn't even open his mouth to explain why. It was strange. Sonya was always a determined woman, always helping others or standing up to protect them. But the Sonya that he and her friends have been seeing for the past few years was a distant loner, always isolating herself and minding her own business without offering help from others.  
Then, they heard an alarm coming from the computer and a notification popped up. "What's this?" Sonya muttered out loud as she walked towards the screen again, squinting at the brightness. She heard a click right after.  
"Maybe you should turn the lights on," Jax reminded her. And he walked to the computer to see, too. "A message from the Lin Kuei...Sub-Zero?" he asked.  
"Seems like it," she agreed.  
She opened it and saw a brief paragraph written to her. She read it out loud:

  
Lieutenant Sonya Blade,  
I apologize for sending an email this early, but I've heard from someone that something terrible might happen to Earthrealm. Hearing this, I fear Quan Chi is setting up for yet another attempt at invading Earthrealm. We'll have to keep an eye out on him, especially if this means that Shinnok might awaken soon. I ask you for your help once again. Please accept this offer if it means that you vow to still protect Earthrealm with us.  
Sub-Zero  


Sonya raised an eyebrow. Of course she's going to protect her own home, so why bother asking? Also, how does he not know who gave him the notif? "...gonna happen again, huh? Looks like we're gonna have to train extra hard then!" Sonya decided, but as she was stretching, she tripped and was caught by Jax.  
"First you might need some sleep," Jax suggested, "no soldier can go to the Netherrealm in _that_ condition."  
Sonya nodded and yawned, walking towards her chair and falling asleep. Jax chuckled quietly and put an unused uniform on her as a blanket. _Another invasion, huh..._ Jax thought. _Damn right Quan Chi's gonna beat our asses again if he's gonna go for a second attempt. I wonder how Sub-Zero got that information, though. Would be really strange if he got it from someone of that hell of a place..._

* * *

**_~LIN KUEI BATTLECOURTS~_ **

Currently, it was 9:30 AM. Sub-Zero was slightly drowsy from sending a late night email to the Special Forces. But it has bothered him, so he couldn't resist.  
_Who sent me that message anyways?_ he wondered.  
As he stopped walking and stood in the center of a battlecourt, he stared at the clear, cloudless blue sky. Snow glistened like crystals as they fell from the sky, and they made the courts glitter brighter. This made him feel happy and nostalgic. He remembered the days he spent training and playing with some of his Lin Kuei friends as children. When they had the free time, they would play in the snow during the winter time, which was one of his most cherished childhood memories. Cyrax, Sektor, Smoke, even his brother, Bi-Han. This also made him sad, because he really missed those days, and he missed them, too. He knew Cyrax was turned back from a cyborg to his human form, but he hasn't come back to visit the Lin Kuei since his revival. And he just couldn't forgive Sektor for being selfish and loyal to the former Lin Kuei grandmaster that has abused his clan for so long.  
_I guess I can't really go back to the past after all,_ he thought to himself, _I can no longer enjoy training with the allies I was the closest with...Bi-Han and Smoke were once close to me, and will never be like that again...Sektor was just deceptive and cruel...and Cyrax, couldn't he just pay a visit for once? I even told him the Lin Kuei isn't what it used to be anymore!_ But even so, he sighed in distress anyways.  
As he stood in the center of the field, he heard a rustle from a nearby tree. He turned in that direction, but all he saw were leaves and snow falling. He glanced and turned in many other directions until he heard a sharp stab next to him. He quickly turned to see a spear stabbed on the ground, and he knew exactly whose spear it was.  
A swift shadow flew down in Sub-Zero's direction, but the cryomancer quickly dodged it. He recognized this shadow to be none other than Scorpion, the Lin Kuei's long time rival and assumed enemy. Scorpion stood up and reeled in the spear from the ground and gave Sub-Zero a glare from under his hood, bright eyes glowing from the shadow covering the top half of his face. Without wasting another second idling, he flew towards Sub-Zero, blowing several fiery punches. Sub-Zero was able to block each attack, although this made his arms slightly sore already. This gave Scorpion the chance to knee him from under the chin and kicked his jaw, sending Sub-Zero towards the tree that he glanced at earlier. Snow drizzled on top of the cryomancer, slowly healing the burning wounds on him and strengthening him.  
_Bi-Han would often put snow on me when I was hurt..._ he thought to himself.  
Then, he looked up, questioning if that was Scorpion's intention. He grinned and teleported from behind and grabbed Scorpion. He froze him and kicked his back, breaking the ice. Scorpion stumbled from the sudden ice and shuddered, but refused to fall down and drew out his katana. Sub-Zero noticed this and summoned his own ice blade. The two fought hot-bloodedly for a long while, scarring each other and creating tears in each other's clothes. This soon made Scorpion stumble in exhaustion, giving Sub-Zero the chance to knock the katana out of his grip. But it turned out that Scorpion only fooled the cryomancer into thinking he would soon surrender. He then teleported away from Sub-Zero, the flames blocking his view. He blinked and rubbed his eyes and saw Scorpion on the other side of the field. He then felt a sharp sting in his shoulder blade and saw the spear stabbed in his skin.  
**"GET OVER HERE!"** Scorpion roared and reeled Sub-Zero in. Once Sub-Zero was right in front of him, Scorpion yanked the spear out and elbowed the cryomancer in the chest. Once Sub-Zero flinched at the attack, Scorpion used this chance to summon his katana that was originally dropped onto the ground. With it, he swung the blade, scarring Sub-Zero and making him lose his balance before Scorpion stabbed him in the nose. Then, he quickly drew the blade out and set it on fire. With the fiery blade, he spun the sword creating a floating fire wall, quickly teleported behind the recovering cryomancer, and kicked him in the back without wasting a second, sending him to burn through the fire wall and fall flat face down. Finally, Scorpion sunk down in a fire pool and appeared under Sub-Zero, kneeing his stomach before stabbing his back with the flaming blade. Once his back was arched, Scorpion kicked him with both feet out of the blade and sent him to fall face down again.  
Scorpion landed standing, and assumed victory. But he was startled to see that Sub-Zero still had enough energy to keep fighting. How was he able to withstand such deadly attacks that even burned him? Then, he saw a pile of snow that Sub-Zero landed on. Did the snow heal him? He should've known, but he was still also confused.  
"Don't underestimate the Lin Kuei's grandmaster," Sub-Zero chuckled as he shook off the snow left on him.  
After he has healed himself enough, he ran in Scorpion's direction and froze his feet to the ground so that he couldn't escape. The cryomancer dashed towards Scorpion while summoning an ice sword. Once he got closer to the struggling ninja, he stabbed the sword through his ribs. He then unsheathed it out very quickly and turned, the tip of the blade scarring Scorpion's chest. This made Scorpion nearly lose his balance and gave the opportunity for Sub-Zero to grab his leg. The ice on his feet shattered as Sub-Zero pulled him and swung him in the air before slamming him face down on the field. And with that final attack, Sub-Zero had claimed victory.  
As Scorpion struggled to stand up, Sub-Zero walked past him. He wondered what the cryomancer was going to do next. As he finally regained consciousness and stood up, Scorpion took off his mask to breathe in some fresh air. Doing that, he also turned back to his normal human self, Hanzo Hasashi. Suddenly, he felt something slam on his face. It felt cold and it kind of hurt. Then, he heard a light-hearted laugh.  
"You really thought a surprise attack was a good way to greet me this morning, did you?" Sub-Zero laughed. Apparently, he threw a snowball at Hanzo. "At times like this, a simple hello could have sufficed."  
Hanzo blinked in surprise and then lightly smiled.  
"It really has been a while," he suddenly brought up. "Reforming our new clans and regaining all of what we lost..." Hanzo looked around, observing the peaceful scenery of the Lin Kuei grounds.  
Sub-Zero nodded in agreement."Definitely." He then walked towards the ninja. "Our lost honor, our lost legacies...we were able to regain them because we cared deeply for our clans." He paused and thought for a moment. "Were you actually testing my skills just now? To see if I'm still a worthy grandmaster?"  
"Part of that is the reason why I came here," Hanzo answered, "but the other reason was this."  
He dug his hand in his robe and pulled out a piece of paper. Sub-Zero looked down in confusion and disgust.  
"What is _this_ supposed to be?" he questioned.  
Hanzo blinked in confusion, then looked down. He saw that the paper was tainted in blood, torn and ripped, and wrinkled to the point where it was too difficult to read. He realized it was because of the battle from earlier.  
"Sorry," he hesitated, "this was supposed to be a note." He then muttered to himself, "Maybe I should've put this in a safer place."  
Sub-Zero raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "A note, huh? What for?"  
"It has to do with the message from the Netherrealm. Remember the one you received at midnight? I was the one that sent it to you."  
"That was you?!"  
"Well, actually...if I hadn't heard it from someone else, I wouldn't have been able to warn you as soon as possible," Hanzo replied. "The problem is, I don't know _who_ I got that information from."  
Sub-Zero was confused. "So the note I received was from you." He then looked down at the dirty note. "Is that the note you received from someone else?"  
Hanzo nodded, then he gave Sub-Zero a look. "Wait, did I not write my name on the note I gave you?"  
Silence lasted for a little while. Then, Sub-Zero got flustered, remembering that he was half asleep when he received the note from Scorpion.  
"I thought you would be more of a late night person," Hanzo teased, elbowing Sub-Zero on the arm.  
Sub-Zero groaned in embarrassment. "Anyways, if this is some urgent emergency, we'll need to contact as many of our allies as possible. I already warned Special Forces about this."  
"Right," Hanzo agreed. Then, he came to the realization that his only ally could be Sub-Zero. Even for 25 years, he hasn't thought of reaching out to other people. All he focused on was reforming and recreating his lost clan. Suddenly denying what he said, he turned and walked away.  
"Wait, Hanzo!" Sub-Zero called. "You're not our enemy anymore!" As he saw Hanzo stop, he continued talking. "I know I haven't really been open to them about...us. But, maybe if I explained and clarified a few things, then maybe they could trust you the same way they started trusting me."  
Hanzo turned his head. "What do you mean by that?"  
"My brother," Sub-Zero answered. "We all know he wasn't exactly the most heart-warming person. Sonya even told me he was quite stern around them. He's always been that way since we were young." He sunk his head. "That...that didn't mean he was completely untrustworthy. The Lin Kuei had a history of being quite cruel. Not everything was his fault; it was the Lin Kuei's morals that..."  
"Went against your beliefs as a human being?" Hanzo finished.  
Sub-Zero lifted his head up and saw determination in his eyes. Just a few seconds ago, he looked unsure. Now, Sub-Zero himself was the one who was hesitant.  
"I suppose we're both alike in a certain way," Hanzo continued. "We want to help, yet we're afraid to, because we both have a dark past. For me, it was becoming Quan Chi's servant and killing your brother. What about you?"  
Sub-Zero was suddenly appalled. He remembered; Scorpion was the one who killed Bi-Han, but only against his will. Bi-Han was the first to kill Hanzo, though. So, up to this day, it still didn't make sense as to why he has befriended Hanzo and still cared for his brother, even though they both murdered each other. But he still shook his head.  
"Your encounters were the reason why I interfered. After all, had I not been involved, no one would have lived peacefully. Cyrax, Liu Kang, Kitana, Sonya, everyone who I considered loyal allies...and even you. That's why I want to help along so that you guys...no, _we_ don't face the same fate we did years ago."  
Hanzo smiled softly and nodded. "I agree. And I wouldn't have been able to redeem myself if you weren't there." He turned once again. "You were the one who brought me back to reality, made me mortal once again," he added, before teleporting out of the Lin Kuei grounds.  
Now, Sub-Zero was standing alone once again on the center of the field, just as he did when he first walked outside. The snow fell from the sky just as beautifully as it always had since the early morning.  
_Brought him back to reality, made him mortal once again_, he repeated to himself. _I guess he isn't wrong about that..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first complete part of a chapter! Sorry that it's pretty wordy, but I hope it's easy to follow. Anyways, stay tuned for the next page!


	4. Demon After Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two of Chapter 1 "Crystal Cold"

_**~FIRE WELL~** _

Sub-Zero remembered the events that occured in the Netherrealm 25 years ago, back when he was a mere Lin Kuei assassin and Hanzo was still the specter Scorpion. During that time, they finished fighting against each other and were confronted by Quan Chi.  
The demon sorcerer summoned a green-lit skull and aimed at Scorpion, jamming him in the chest and sending him to the other side of the well. Scorpion landed unconscious, and Sub-Zero ran toward his direction. When he tried to wake him up, there was a burning scar left on the center of Scorpion's chest. Quan Chi harmed him quite heavily, which made Sub-Zero worry if he would be able to wake up. Since Scorpion was a specter, there was no real way he could actually die. But his soul? That could vanish in thin air like dust. Sub-Zero didn't like what he was thinking. He didn't want to lose his ally, his closest friend, after losing many of his other friends from his clan. But no matter how many times he nudged and shook Scorpion, he wouldn't wake up. If he could only take his mask off, if only he had a face, it would've been easier to know if he were alive.  
"Do not even dare to stress yourself any longer," Quan Chi warned the cryomancer. "What is the point in saving the life of an enemy? Everyone knows that Scorpion resides in the Netherrealm. Everyone knows that he killed your brother. And yet, here you are, trying to give him peace." He laughed at Sub-Zero and his efforts of waking up the specter. "You may be mature, but your heart is still too pure."  
Sub-Zero held back tears. Quan Chi was right. He was being too friendly this entire time since his alliance with the Earthrealm warriors. He even refused to kill his opponent back at Shao Kahn's tournament, even though he was the victor. And most of all, he still cared for his cold-hearted yet protective brother, Bi Han. But he soon realized that he never dragged anyone down. No, if he hadn't stood up for himself and honored his brother, he would have faced the same fate as the other Lin Kuei members: becoming a cyborg. If anything, involving himself in the wars between Earthrealm and Outworld made him a stronger man than he was before. And he even learned the truth behind all of this. Scorpion's and Bi-Han's rivalry, their deaths, everything. He knew why they were murderous to each other. Finally, he stood up and turned to Quan Chi, tears rolling down his burning eyes as he blinked.  
"Maybe I do have a pure heart, but I was never gullible! I would never have believed anything and everything that had occurred around me!" Sub-Zero snapped. "You with the help of my grandmaster manipulated my brother into killing this man and making him complete your stupid missions! You told him about the amulet and its functions! He knew all along about Shinnok's invasion! And yet...he never had the chance to warn anyone..." He paused to wipe his eyes and calm his shaky breath. Yet, he continued to cry out everything he needed to confess. "Not to mention, your main target was _this_ man the entire time?!" He pointed down at Scorpion. "You wanted my brother to kill him, because you knew that Scorpion was too honorable to commit such unnecessary murder if he stayed human! And when he did turn into your servant, that was his chance to finally complete your task!" He started walking forward. He then paused to pick up his mask that was laying on the ground and brushed the dirt and dust off. "And now that I'm involved in this entire mess," he continued with a quivering voice, "you put the blame on me for the murder of his clan. And even his family that...he dearly loved..." His eyes were now red with bloodshot from the excessive crying and rubbing. He tried to confess more, but all he could do now was cough and hiccup excessively.  
Quan Chi leered with a grin. "No matter. That still changes nothing. I may have led that Lin Kuei assassin to his doom. I may have killed the Shirai Ryu. However, Scorpion's loyalty to me and the Netherrealm will not change."  
"What about deception and puppetry is loyalty?!" Sub-Zero growled. "You have only put him through more pain than when my brother murdered him! You tried to make him live under a lie! A lie that would not only haunt him...but me as well." After finally calming down and shedding the last of his tears, he wiped them away and put the mask back on. "You've played with us too much already. I've suffered too much of this pain already. Our grandmaster's morals, your jokes, everything! That is why I've decided to choose my own path. A path that will lead me, no...us, to a better future." He stood tall and straight, now expressing bravery and confidence. He gave Quan Chi a menacing glare, the bloodshot eyes stunning the sorcerer in surprise. "From now on...I serve no one! Not the Lin Kuei...and not you."  
Sub-Zero slid forward to Quan Chi and threw kicks and punches at him. However, the sorcerer was able to block each and every attack at ease.  
"Your efforts are worthless," Quan Chi scoffed. He grabbed Sub-Zero's neck at ease and squeezed it hard, as if he were about to snap his neck. Then, he threw the cryomancer to the ground and stomped on his chest. And as expected by Quan Chi, Sub-Zero struggled to lift his hands up to move the sorcerer's leg off. "I saw your battle against Scorpion earlier. I saw you exhaust yourself with all your words and tears right on front of me. Do you really have enough strength left to defeat me?" He kicked the cryomancer away from him. "You were born and raised to serve, and it is better for you to stay that way."  
Sub-Zero didn't want to give up just yet. Not when he had always understood Scorpion and the pain he has been through, both alive and dead. And this lie that the specter had believed only made them grow closer, because their loss of their families and clans at this point was one among many issues that they could relate to, even if those losses were treated very differently. As he regenerated his cryomancy powers and healed himself, he stood up and once again slid towards Quan Chi, this time knocking him back.  
"What if I served at one point? Even I can change for the better!" Sub-Zero said. "Meanwhile, all you'll do is admit the complete opposite of what anyone would ever do!"  
"Even if I do, does that still change anything for you?" Quan Chi watched Sub-Zero give a confused look. He chuckled and summoned a skull. "Either way, you will die," he clarified.  
He threw the skull at Sub-Zero, the cryomancer barely missing it. Even if Sub-Zero had healed himself, his strength was still not at its fullest to defeat the sorcerer. Despite this, he refused to surrender and continued to fight. He continued to stand and fight, because he did this for Scorpion who has been manipulated for too long already.  
"If I have to suffer the same fate as Scorpion," Sub-Zero groaned, "then I will...and if I have to die, then I will die for him..."  
"Then, I shall grant you that wish."  
Quan Chi manipulated Sub-Zero's mind in to coming towards his direction. Once he snapped the cryomancer out of his control and put him in a dumbfounded state, the sorcerer summoned a portal that sent out multiple skulls. Each one hit Sub-Zero in the back, the last one hitting the back of his head. Sub-Zero rubbed his head from the sudden attack, giving Quan Chi the opportunity to swiftly go behind him an stab a dagger on the cryomancer's hands to restrain him from proper balance. Finally, Quan Chi summoned a skull, but this time, it glowed silver rather than green. The silver skull then transformed into a spikey mace, which Quan Chi then used to slam the dagger through Sub-Zero's head. The bloody dagger landed flat on the ground, followed by Sub-Zero. When he collapsed, his mask fell off and landed next to the dagger.  
Quan Chi stood in subtle surprise. Sub-Zero was not standing up, but he was not yet dead either. He walked towards the cryomancer and stomped on his chest once again. This time, Sub-Zero coughed out a fair amount of blood out of his mouth and choked on some of the remains in his throat.  
"What did I say?" Quan Chi mocked. "Just as expected, you're too weak." He walked away from the cryomancer and towards the fallen mask and crushed it with his foot. "Look at yourself, trying hard to be independent. Even your brother was a more worthy kombatant than you will ever be. Besides, where did that strength from _your_ first match at the tournament go?" He chuckled as he walked towards Sub-Zero again and picked him up by the cloth of his black top. "Seems like I was right all along. You would be better off serving than leading. Or anything else for that matter," he laughed as he tossed Sub-Zero down.  
Sub-Zero felt that he had failed Scorpion. He tried his best to fight for him, protect him. Yet, all of that was wasted by a pathetic defeat. He felt the urge to cry again, but was in too much pain and sorrow to even shed any tears.  
_I...I'm sorry,_ Sub-Zero thought, _I couldn't fight enough to protect you..._ Sub-Zero gripped his fists to the ground weakly. _Have I had more strength and stamina, I would have been able to free you from Quan Chi's chains..._  
Scorpion, who had been watching the fight since the very beginning, started to rock to his side and slowly stand up. He winced from the sudden sharp pain and clutched his chest. Quan Chi really scarred him hard, but it wasn't enough to kill him, his form, or his soul. He could still be able to stand, but he still arched forward and grabbed on to himself. The pain in his chest was piercing gradually, so much that he had to kneel down to calm himself down. But then, he found out that he wasn't aching because of Quan Chi's attack. Maybe just a little bit, but there was another reason. Knowing that Sub-Zero fought to protect and save him, he found out he was also aching because he was suddenly starting to feel. All the emotions, his love to his family and clan, all that Quan Chi took away from him, and he tried to take away his friendship with Sub-Zero. He remembered everything he loved once. And all the memories were coming back to him. Even his not-so-friendly rivalry with Bi-Han. He closed his eyes, realizing he abandoned everything that made him who he was, all because Quan Chi forced him into servitude. Then, he felt a heartbeat in his chest, something he always had but never recognized as a wraith. He also felt a tear drop as he blinked.  
Sub-Zero turned and lifted his upper body up while trembling. Did he really see what he saw just now? Or were his eyes deceiving him?  
"S-Scorpion?" Sub-Zero called in a weak voice.  
Scorpion lifted his head up and blinked again. Slowly, his eyes were turning back from the invisible irises to darker brown eyes. Scorpion actually turned back to normal. He got his humanity back. He looked down at his hands. Everything felt the same, except he actually felt alive this time. He must have gotten his humanity back because of his friendship with the cryomancer. He even vowed to himself that he will protect him after learning that he was the younger brother of Bi-Han. And since then, he has felt he was getting closer and closer to turning back into the human he once was. And this moment was that day. He reached for his mask as he stood up.  
"Scorpion!" Sub-Zero called again, this time in a louder but raspier tone.  
Scorpion took off his mask. He then felt his jaw. He had a face. His face was back, no longer the fiery skull he hid underneath. He felt a spark of joy and relief inside, but he expressed anger and irritation outside. He suddenly gave Quan Chi a fuming but tearful glare.  
"You should have freed me long ago," he growled, hurling the mask forward on the ground. The mask landed and cracked. He walked towards Quan Chi, stepping on the broken mask and stopping there. "I am Scorpion no longer," he warned. "I am Shirai Ryu. I am Hanzo Hasashi!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time, this chapter is a mix of both a retelling of Sub-Zero's MK4 ending and original mix, adding some character and emotion in it. Therefore, it's not exactly that ending, but my version of it, haha.


	5. The Breeze of Deja Vu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part three (last part) of Chapter 1 "Crystal Cold"

**_~LIN KUEI TEMPLE~_ **

Sub-Zero snapped back to reality and woke up. He didn't realize he fell asleep as he was remembering that time in the Netherrealm. That was the first time he saw Scorpion in a human form. It was also the first time he had heard his real name: Hanzo Hasashi. It was a memory that he would forever remember, though he wished he would forget how childish he acted.  
He sat up and noticed he has been sleeping on a bamboo bench inside the Lin Kuei Temple. There was also a blanket on top of him. He must've fallen asleep somewhere and his students brought him inside. He turned around to see through an opening where he could see his students in the dining room having their breakfast before training. He assumed that some of them were looking at him because they were looking down and rushing down their food. He figured they were worried about him because of what happened not only this morning, but especially for the past few days.  
"I'm quite worried about Grandmaster."  
"Yeah, he's been acting a bit worked up, lately. I wonder how much longer his sanity will last..."  
"Shh, don't say that! He will lose his sanity if you say that!"  
"Now, now, if he can deal with Frost, then there's not much to worry about. Unless it's some sort of urgent emergency, then we shouldn't be nosing around his business."  
"Weird flex, but okay."  
Those were some of the exchanges that he heard from his students. He smiled thinking about how much his students cared about him. And he was also glad that he took care of them very well. Had the Lin Kuei still been the same way during his days as the grandmaster's student, had they have to suffer the cyber initiative, they would have lived just as miserably as he and his friends did. He got up from the bench and set the blanket down on it.  
"Oh, Grandmaster!" one student called as he noticed Sub-Zero walking in the dining room.  
"You dumbass!" another hissed at that student.  
Sub-Zero turned around to see the students in a strangled position. They were trying to silence each other for some reason, and he chuckled at that. They were just too adorable when they weren't training.  
"I know," he told them as he walked towards them, "you're worried about me, aren't you?"  
Some were surprised, some looked guilty, and others were just minding their own business.  
Sub-Zero cleared his throat. "I'm fine right now, so you don't need to worry about that. However, I just got a message this morning from a friend of mine that there is an emergency." He saw the students get worked up and nervous. "But it is nothing major to worry about. This emergency has to do with the Netherrealm's second attempt of invading Earthrealm," he announced. "If we train harder, we may be able to stop them before they can even prepare their ultimate weapon. And with your current status, I believe you are able to withstand those enemies of the Netherrealm."  
"Yeah, and then ya got Frost," a student behind the counter joked. But in a sense, she wasn't entirely wrong. Frost was known to be one of the most stubborn students of the Lin Kuei. So much to the point that she would try to go her way with anything rather than listen to her own grandmaster.  
"Well then, looks like now I know who to train first," Sub-Zero decided. "But first, a coffee to wake myself up."  
And all of the students stumbled when he said that. They were expecting something a little more serious from their grandmaster, but what did they really expect? He often gives funny responses, too.  
"Um, Grandmaster?" the student at the counter hesitated. "Are you sure you want to use that cup? There's a mug over there."  
"It's alright," Sub-Zero answered. "Why do you ask?"  
"Because your coffee is freezing."  
"...damn it," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

** _~LIN KUEI TRAINING ROOM~_ **

"Do I really have to do this?" Frost complained.  
Sub-Zero had invited her to the training room. She needed to polish a little bit if she wants to be a great Lin Kuei warrior like his other students. In fact, she probably needed a lot of polishing. First, her fighting skills and abilities; and second, her attitude.  
"There is no time to argue about this," he answered, "as this is most likely going to be an urgent mission. This time's encounter with the Netherrealm may be just as, if not more, dangerous than our last one 25 years ago. So, to answer your question, yes. You have to do this, especially since you are going to have to defend yourself at some point in your life, whether it be this mission or something else much deadlier."  
Frost puffed her cheeks and glared at him in annoyance. However, she still chose to cooperate.  
Sub-Zero walked a few steps away from her and paused, then turned to get in his battle stance.  
"Do you remember what I taught you?" he warned her.  
Uncrossing her arms and softening her face, she also got in her stance.  
"Alright, yeah, I do," Frost answered with a grudge, "and I'm prepared."  
And before she knew it, Sub-Zero attacked her with a snowball and knocked her back. She landed and slid as she kept her balance. Frost also summoned several snowballs, though they were the size of golf balls, and chugged all of them at once towards Sub-Zero. However, he was able to dodge each one, knowing that Frost is underestimating him. This disappointed and annoyed her very much to the point that she charged full speed at him and threw a barrage of punches and kicks. Yet, Sub-Zero was still able to stand up from even her powerful attacks.  
"H-how...how is this possible..." Frost uttered, barely making a sound as she spoke.  
The cryomancer remained calm and steady. He knew that this was what Frost was missing in order to reach the other students' levels. She had no self control and patience, which is why her strongest attacks are still much weaker for Lin Kuei standards.  
_Reminds me of those times,_ Sub-Zero thought to himself, _when I was unsure about why I was the weaker member among everyone._ He closed his eyes and simply stood and did nothing. He remembered the days when he was selfish and couldn't be bothered to do his training properly. All of that was what made him a more controlled Lin Kuei member, let alone the new grandmaster. Then, he opened his eyes, still seeing Frost in shock and confusion.  
Suddenly, a rush of snow stormed around the room and blinded Frost. When it stopped, she unblocked her face and saw that the grandmaster was nowhere to be seen. That was until crystal ice glistened in front of her, which made her heart beat faster than it should. From those crystals appeared Sub-Zero, who jumped over Frost as a way to distract her from standing idle. Noticing that she has barely move since the snowstorm, he shot several icy spikes on her back. Frost stumbled and slid on the ground. Sub-Zero was prepared to use another move, but Frost demanded that she would surrender.  
"Urrgh, this is too much!" she growled.  
He was disappointed, but he agreed to stop the battle for now.  
"I suppose we could stop here for now," he said, "even I'm slightly tired myself. I'll admit, I overworked myself." As he lifted Frost up, he saw her surprised. "What's wrong?"  
"Oh, uh," Frost stuttered, "it's just...you're usually pushing me every session, so..."  
Sub-Zero chuckled and rubbed her head, making Frost puff her cheeks and give a not-so-flattered blush (clearly she did not like this and also did not want to be treated like a child).  
"By the way, I've been wanting to ask you. How is it that there are no clouds outside and yet it's still snowing?"  
The sudden voice made both Sub-Zero and Frost startle and look around. Only then did Sub-Zero find a shadow sitting on the edge of the window that was meters above the ground. That shadow happened to be Hanzo, who chuckled at their reactions.  
Clearly confused, Sub-Zero asked, "What are you doing here? I thought..."  
But before Sub-Zero could finish his sentence, Hanzo jumped off of the window, landed on the floor, and ran towards the cryomancers. "I apologize for interrupting what you were doing just now, but Sonya Blade told me that I needed to come back here to get you."  
"The Netherrealm…have they started preparing for invasion?" Sub-Zero asked.  
"That is still unclear at the moment," Hanzo answered. He looked at Frost, who was glaring at him in a very disgusted way. "Oh, which reminds me, are you planning to have the Lin Kuei join and stop this supposed invasion?"  
"Ah! In fact, that was exactly what I was doing," Sub-Zero said, "and I was starting off with Frost because--"  
"He's a bastard," Frost interrupted. And just like that, Sub-Zero pulled her ear, making her screech.  
"Anyways, when should we get going?" Sub-Zero asked.  
"Pretty soon," Hanzo answered, "probably right now. It's quite the emergency..."  
"Understood. I'll let my students know that." Sub-Zero glared at Frost and then added, "I think I'll bring another somebody with us as well."  
Sub-Zero and Frost, whose ear was still being pulled on, left the room, leaving Hanzo left alone. _Frost,_ he thought to himself, _she may still act cold, but she's definitely started to warm up towards others. She just needs to find it herself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes the true first chapter of this story! I apologize for the long hiatus, but still feel free to tell me what you thought about this story so far!


End file.
